Fourth Sunday of Advent 12/24/23
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
DECEMBER 24, 2023
ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, FALLS CHURCH, VA
10:00 a.m.
✠ ✠ ✠
PRELUDE The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came Setting: Timothy Shaw
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN (Stand) The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came LSB 356
1 The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
“All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
2 “For know a blessèd mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee;
Thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
“My soul shall laud and magnify God’s holy name.”
Most highly favored lady,
Gloria!
4 Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
“Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sin, be our advocate in heaven and bring us to eternal life. Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, resolved to keep God’s commandments and to live in love and peace with all.
(We kneel)
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we confess that we have sinned against You and against our neighbor in thought, word and deed; through negligence, through weakness, and through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us on the cross, forgive us all that is past, and grant that we may serve You in newness of life, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son ✠ and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
KYRIE (Kyrie eleison means “Lord have mercy”) (Stand) LSB #943
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For peace in our hearts as we gather for worship, and for the peace of the whole world and the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For the proclamation of the Gospel in this and every place and for the calling of all to faith, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
For grace to await our Lord’s coming again in glory, and for the joyful anticipation of his coming into our hearts today, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie, Kyrie eleison. Kyrie, Kyrie eleison.
HYMN OF PRAISE (omitted during this penitential season)
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Stir up Your power, O Lord,
and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. . . .
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 89:1-5 (Sung responsively)
I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
‘I will establish your offspring forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’”
Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
SECOND LESSON Romans 16:25-27
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(10:30) CHILDREN’S SERMON
GOSPEL VERSE (stand) Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus LSB 338
1 Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art,
Dear desire of ev’ry nation,
Joy of ev’ry longing heart.
GOSPEL Luke 1:26-38
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke the 1st chapter
Glory to You, O Lord.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Sts. 1-4 LSB 357
1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear. Refrain
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ord’rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
3 O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
4 O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
SERMON
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
In today’s sermon we will focus on Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible presents her as a figure to be greatly respected, and it is my hope that our respect for her will grow as a result of this examination.
Like many personalities in the Bible, we know enough from both historical tradition and the Bible itself to gain a fairly broad perspective on Mary. We know from James, a second century gospel, that her parents were Joachim and Anna. And while the Bible does not specifically say that Mary was of the lineage of David, Luke 1:32 implies that she was from this line, just like her husband Joseph.
When we first meet Mary in the Bible, she is a young woman probably in her early teens. This was a very exciting time for her. Women would come to her and say, “Mary, we hear that you have become a young woman. When are you going to get engaged?” Or: “When is your father going to make arrangements for you?” Her older siblings and aunts would probably tease her because she had matured to that very delicate time in life when she had become a young woman and was eligible for engagement.
As we know, Mary’s father eventually arranged for his daughter to be engaged to a young carpenter by the name of Joseph. As was the tradition, their engagement likely lasted one year. During this year, Mary and Joseph prepared for their wedding just as young couples today prepare for their wedding and marriage. It was during this time that the couple would become acquainted with each other, begin building their relationship, and hopefully fall in love.
Jewish law took engagement seriously. The law said that if Joseph died, Mary would be a widow. If she died, he would be a widower. If they separated, it was called a divorce.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that young Mary was visited by an angel named Gabriel – a messenger from God. Gabriel said, “Hail, favored one of Israel. The Lord is with you.”
Mary didn’t know what to make of this; she was puzzled, worried, and afraid. But the angel continued: “Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
And here we could stop the sermon right now if we wanted to. For we have just heard the Gospel in two statements: “Do not be afraid” and “you have found favor with God.” What wonderful news the angel brings!
You could substitute your own name for Mary’s. Try it! Hear the angel say to you: “Do not be afraid” and “You have found favor with God.” For like Mary, God gives to each of us these same words of invitation and promise. With the birth of Jesus, Good News is given to all.
The angel then goes on to say, “Mary, you are to give birth to the Messiah, the Anointed one.” This would be an extra special measure of favor. Young Jewish girls all had the dream that they might become the mother of the Messiah.
But Mary had a question, of course. “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Mary was engaged but not married, and she knew that one was not to have sexual relations before marriage. To get pregnant before marriage in her society was often punishable by death.
To her question, the angel said to her: “The power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you. And the Holy Spirit will be like a shadow over you.” And here, with that word “shadow,” the angel uses a word that was used in Genesis in the creation story. There the Holy Spirit “shadowed” over the waters before the beginning of time and God created life in those waters. Now, in a very similar way, the Holy Spirit was shadowing over Mary and creating life in her.
Mary was overwhelmed. But the messenger was not done speaking. He says: “Even your old Aunt Elizabeth is pregnant. For with God, nothing is impossible.” It’s as if the angel said to her: God did the impossible in Creation, God did the impossible in your Aunt Lizie, and now God is doing the impossible in you, Mary. God does the impossible all the time.”
Again, we could stop the sermon right here. For we have once again heard the gospel – this time telling us that with your life and mine, nothing is impossible. What great news this is!
But why stop when the blessings are abounding? Continuing the story, we see that the messenger leaves, and Mary says to God, “Lord, I am your handmaiden, your servant. Let it be to me according to your word.” In other words: “Do with my life and my body what you want to do.”
We see here that Mary believed the angel’s message. And this reminds us of the great gift of faith and how it comes from simply hearing the word of God. Martin Luther once said of this: “the miracle of faith is as great as the miracle of the virgin birth.”
When the angel left, Mary went to see Elizabeth for herself. Sure enough, Elizabeth was expecting a child. What’s more, the child leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary and her child approached. This whole encounter led Mary to explode into a song of happiness, saying: “My soul praises the Lord, for God is my salvation. I am so happy in God, my savior.”
And there is much more that could be said about Mary too. But on this day, let me offer just three last reflections.
First, it can be said of Mary that God chose a humble person to use as his instrument. We know this because when Mary heard the message of the angel, she said, “I am the Lord’s servant.” This statement of hers is not only one of faith, but also one of humility.
Mary was not from a high, noble class of people. She was not from a rich family. The Bible says that her station in life was that of a commoner. And her age made her lower still.
Mary was not from a strong and mighty nation either. Rather, she was from a country that had been occupied by foreign armies for hundreds of years.
You see, God chose what was humble to accomplish His purpose. It has often been said: “Just as Jesus was born in a humble stable, so Christ today is only born in humble hearts.” That quotation is powerful. I’ll say it again: “Just as Jesus was born in a humble stable, so Christ is born only in humble hearts.” Proud people think they have no need of Christ. Those, however, who humbly cry out to God for healing, guidance and forgiveness will receive these blessings of his.
A second point about Mary is this: Mary had the audacity to believe that God had chosen her. She said, “Do with my life as you want to.” She had the audacity to believe that God had chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah.
Mary didn’t say, like Moses, “Well, I am not good enough; go get someone who can talk better.” Nor was Mary like Zechariah who said, “Lord, give me a sign. Prove it to me and then I will believe.” Mary simply believed that God chose her. And because she believed, she was able to put into effect what God had chosen her to do.
As God chose Mary, a common and ordinary person, so also God has chosen you and me, common and ordinary people. You are seated here in this congregation today because God has chosen you. He has chosen to use you in his mission for the world.
God didn’t choose us because of our abilities. God chose us because he is gracious. He chose us for his purposes – some of which he has told us about and others of which we’ll never know.
One purpose we do know is that God has chosen us as his instruments to carry Jesus into the world. Since Jesus has come into our hearts, we now carry him into our world each day. If you have the audacity to believe that God has chosen you, then you know that God is doing His work through you. And you too are a carrier of Christ, just like Mary.
Furthermore, God has not only chosen you individually, but God has chosen you together with his people. You and I, together, have been formed into a congregation to accomplish good works of love on Christ’s behalf. It is not an accident that we are now working together here. God has gathered us to do a mission; to do a ministry.
Third, when Mary finally realized the miracle God had worked in her, she broke out in song. Her heart could no longer be contained, and she started singing, “My soul praises God. For he has remembered what a lowly person I am and has still chosen me. Praise God.”
Sometimes in life there come moments when you just burst out with a song inside of you. And this especially happens, as with Mary, when you realize the great things God has done in your life, and that these great things have nothing to do with your abilities but only with his grace. That’s when your heart begins to burst with praise.
Years later, Mary would find out the full extent of what God was doing for her through Jesus. This would happen as she saw him teach and heal people during his amazing years of ministry. Even more, it would happen as she saw her son die on the cross and be resurrected three days later.
Mary would recall that her son had asked his heavenly Father to forgive those who had brought about his death. And she would learn, as we know now, that her Son Jesus died to take away the sins of the world. Knowing this is the greatest of all favor.
It is truly amazing what God did through Mary. And it is truly amazing what God is doing through you and through us as a congregation. Mary burst into song because she was told she had found favor with God. My friends, when we have Christ in our hearts, we have found favor with him too.
May God give us faith to believe this. And may his name be praised. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Sts. 5-7 LSB 357
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
5 O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery. Refrain
6 O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
7 O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
APOSTLES’ CREED Hymnal, back cover
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH (Stand)
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
In awe at the wonder and majesty of the incarnation, and in thanksgiving that the Savior of the nations has come, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
That the proclamation of Christ’s birth would sound forth throughout the world, and that God would bless the Church’s sharing of these good tidings and give His people ears willing to hear and believe, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For peace in all homes, that our heavenly Father, who revealed to Joseph Jesus’ identity and Mary’s fidelity, would richly preserve all families with His Word, and give them grace to live in love for one another, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For good government, that God would move all authorities to govern in service to his will, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For generosity, that the Father who loves us and sent His Son as the propitiation for our sins would perfect His love in us, so that we might show kindness to those in need, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance from affliction, that God, who sent Jesus to save us from sin’s curse, would hear the pleas of all who call to Him for mercy, especially those on our prayer list and those we name in our hearts at this time… and that He would rescue them from trouble and preserve them in the hope of the resurrection in Christ, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For emergency workers, soldiers, and all whose vocations keep them from their families this evening, that the joy of this night would be known to them as well, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For faith and humility to receive the virgin-born Son of God in His Holy Word and Sacraments – the signs where He has promised to be found, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Almighty God, You have given Your Son, born of Mary, to be the Savior of the world. Send Your Spirit and abide with us, that we may confess Him and remain in Your love until He comes again in glory; for He lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERTORY (Stand)
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE LITURGY OF HOLY COMMUNION
PREFACE TO HOLY COMMUNION
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS LSB 208
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored;
Heav’n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name.
Sing hosanna in the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord;
Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father:
Endless is Your mercy and eternal your reign.
You have filled all creation with light and life;
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Through Abraham you promised to bless all nations.
You rescued Israel, your chosen people.
Through the prophets you renewed your promise;
And, at this the end of all ages, you sent your Son,
Who in words and deeds proclaimed your kingdom
and was obedient to your will, even to giving his life.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST
As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Therefore, gracious Father; with this bread and cup
We remember the life our Lord offered for us.
And believing the witness of his resurrection,
We await his coming in power to share with us
The great and promised feast.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and place,
And unite them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest
Until he comes as victorious Lord of all.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI LSB 963
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
grant us Your peace,
grant us Your peace.
DISTRIBUTION (Be seated)
Those wishing to commune at the foot of the steps should come forward first. Those wishing to commune at the altar rail should come forward after these, front rows first, from both sides of the aisle. After receiving, all should return to their seats. A common dismissal will be given at the end.
COMMUNION HYMN Once He Came in Blessing LSB 333
1 Once He came in blessing,
All our sins redressing;
Came in likeness lowly,
Son of God most holy;
Bore the cross to save us;
Hope and freedom gave us.
2 Now He gently leads us;
With Himself He feeds us
Precious food from heaven,
Pledge of peace here given,
Manna that will nourish
Souls that they may flourish.
3 Soon will come that hour
When with mighty power
Christ will come in splendor
And will judgment render,
With the faithful sharing
Joy beyond comparing.
4 Come, then, O Lord Jesus,
From our sins release us.
Keep our hearts believing,
That we, grace receiving,
Ever may confess You
Till in heav’n we bless You.
POST-COMMUNION COLLECT (Stand)
NUNC DIMITTIS LSB 937
1 Lord, bid Your servant go in peace,
Your word is now fulfilled.
These eyes have seen salvation’s dawn,
This child so long foretold.
2 This is the Savior of the world,
The Gentiles’ promised light,
God’s glory dwelling in our midst,
The joy of Israel.
3 With saints of old, with saints to come,
To You we lift our voice;
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest
Be honor, love, and praise.
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN Wake, Awake, For Night is Flying LSB 516
1 “Wake, awake, for night is flying,”
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
“Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near.”
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her star is ris’n, her light is come.
Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall
To eat the Supper at Thy call.
3 Now let all the heav’ns adore Thee,
Let saints and angels sing before Thee
With harp and cymbals’ clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, joining with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might
Of Thy glory;
Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!
ANNOUNCEMENTS (Be seated)
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE Wake, Awake, For Night is Flying Setting: Jeffery Blersch
Those serving:
10:00 a.m.
Greeter: Steve Berg
Comm. assist: Dan Buuck
Reader: Dan Buuck
Acolyte: Noah Starck
AV Assistants: Hannes Buuck, Andreas Buuck
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
338 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt. Tune: Southern Harmony, 1835, New Haven Text and tune: Public domain
623 Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt. Tune: Cantionale Germanicum, 1628, Gochsheim Text and tune: Public domain
963 Agnus Dei — II Text: Traditional; tr. International Consultation on English Texts, alt. Tune: Jeffrey N. Blersch, 1967 Text: © 1975 International Consultation on English Texts. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 2001 Jeffrey N. Blersch. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
937 Lord, Bid Your Servant Go in Peace Text (sts. 1–2): James Quinn, 1919–2010; (st. 3): Henry V. Gerike, 1948 Tune: American Text (sts. 1–2): © 1969, 1989 OCP Publications; (st. 3): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
356 The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came Text: para. Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834–1924 Text and tune: Basque, c. 18th cent. Text and tune: Public domain
357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Text: Latin, c. 12th cent.; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 1710, Köln; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt. Tune: French, 15th cent. Text and tune: Public domain
333 Once He Came in Blessing Text: Johann Horn, c. 1490–1547; (sts. 1, 4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006 Tune: Michael Weisse, c. 1480–1534 Text (sts. 2–3): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Text (sts. 1, 4) and tune: Public domain
516 Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying Text: tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text and tune: Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608 Text and tune: Public domain